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[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1555 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1555

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the administration of 
Post-9/11 Educational Assistance by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
                        and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 13, 2017

 Mr. Tillis (for himself and Mr. Kaine) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the administration of 
Post-9/11 Educational Assistance by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Education Experience 
Improvement Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. TRAINING FOR SCHOOL CERTIFYING OFFICIALS.

    (a) Training Requirement.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, 
in consultation with the State approving agencies, set forth 
requirements relating to training for school certifying officials 
employed by covered educational institutions offering courses of 
education approved under chapter 36 of title 38, United States Code.
    (b) Disapproval.--If a covered educational institution does not 
ensure that a school certifying official employed by the educational 
institution meets such requirements, the Secretary may disapprove any 
course of education offered by such educational institution.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered educational institution.--The term ``covered 
        educational institution'' means an educational institution that 
        has enrolled 20 or more individuals using educational 
        assistance under title 38, United States Code.
            (2) School certifying official.--The term ``school 
        certifying official'' means an employee of an educational 
        institution with primary responsibility for certifying veteran 
        enrollment at the educational institution.
            (3) State approving agency.--The term ``State approving 
        agency'' means a department or agency of a State designated 
        under section 3671 of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF CERTIFICATIONS MADE BY SCHOOL 
              CERTIFYING OFFICIALS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, in 
consultation with the State approving agencies, set forth requirements 
for covered educational institutions offering courses of education 
approved under chapter 36 of title 38, United States Code, to employ 
one school certifying official for every 500 unduplicated 
certifications made during a fiscal year. If a covered educational 
institution does not ensure that enough school certifying officials are 
employed by the educational institution to meets such requirements, the 
Secretary may disapprove any course of education offered by such 
educational institution.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered educational institution.--The term ``covered 
        educational institution'' means an educational institution that 
        has enrolled 20 or more individuals using educational 
        assistance under title 38, United States Code.
            (2) School certifying official.--The term ``school 
        certifying official'' means an employee of an educational 
        institution with primary responsibility for certifying veteran 
        enrollment at the educational institution.
            (3) State approving agency.--The term ``State approving 
        agency'' means a department or agency of a State designated 
        under section 3671 of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON USE OF REPORTING FEES PAYABLE TO EDUCATIONAL 
              INSTITUTIONS AND JOINT APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING 
              COMMITTEES.

    (a) In General.--Section 3684(c) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows:
    ``(c)(1) The Secretary may pay to any educational institution, or 
to the sponsor of a program of apprenticeship, furnishing education or 
training under either this chapter or chapter 31, 34, or 35 of this 
title, a reporting fee which will be in lieu of any other compensation 
or reimbursement for reports or certifications which such educational 
institution or joint apprenticeship training committee is required to 
submit to the Secretary by law or regulation.
    ``(2) Such reporting fee shall be computed for each calendar year 
by multiplying $16 by the number of eligible veterans or eligible 
persons enrolled under this chapter or chapter 31, 34, or 35 of this 
title. The reporting fee shall be paid to such educational institution 
or sponsor of a program of apprenticeship as soon as feasible after the 
end of the calendar year for which it is applicable.
    ``(3) No reporting fee payable to an educational institution under 
this subsection shall be subject to offset by the Secretary against any 
liability of such institution for any overpayment for which such 
institution may be administratively determined to be liable under 
section 3685 of this title unless such liability is not contested by 
such institution or has been upheld by a final decree of a court of 
appropriate jurisdiction.
    ``(4) Any reporting fee paid to an educational institution or joint 
apprenticeship training committee after the date of the enactment of 
the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2011 
(Public Law 111-377)--
            ``(A) shall be utilized by such institution or committee 
        solely for the making of certifications required under this 
        chapter or chapter 31, 34, or 35 of this title or for otherwise 
        supporting programs for veterans; and
            ``(B) with respect to an institution that has 75 or more 
        enrollees described in paragraph (2), may not be used for or 
        merged with amounts available for the general fund of the 
        educational institution or sponsor of a program of 
        apprenticeship.
    ``(5) The reporting fee payable under this subsection shall be paid 
from amounts appropriated for readjustment benefits.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on August 1, 2018.
    (c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 412(b) of the Jeff Miller and 
Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 
2016 (Public Law 114-315; 38 U.S.C. 3684 note) is amended--
            (1) in the matter before paragraph (1), by striking ``on 
        September 25, 2026'' and inserting ``on July 31, 2018''; and
            (2) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Through 
        September 25, 2016'' and inserting ``Through July 31, 2018''.

SEC. 5. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROVISION OF ON-CAMPUS 
              EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL COUNSELING FOR VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 36 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 3697A the following new section:
``Sec. 3697B. On-campus educational and vocational counseling
    ``(a) In General.--(1) The Secretary shall provide educational and 
vocational counseling services for veterans at locations on the 
campuses of institutions of higher learning selected by the Secretary.
    ``(2) Such counseling services shall be provided by employees of 
the Department who provide such services under section 3697A of this 
title.
    ``(3) Such services shall include, when determined appropriate by 
such employees, personalized learning plans for each veteran that map a 
defined program of study based on the veteran's academic career goals.
    ``(b) Selection of Locations.--(1) To be selected by the Secretary 
under this section, an institution of higher learning shall provide an 
appropriate space on the campus of the institution where counseling 
services can be provided under this section.
    ``(2) In selecting locations for the provision of counseling 
services under this section, the Secretary shall seek to select 
locations where the maximum number of veterans would have access to 
such services.
    ``(c) Annual Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this section and not less frequently than once each year 
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the 
counseling services provided under this section. Such report shall 
include, for the year covered by the report--
            ``(1) the average ratio of counselors providing such 
        services to veterans who received such services at each 
        location where such services were provided;
            ``(2) a description of such services provided;
            ``(3) the recommendations of the Secretary for improving 
        the provision of such services;
            ``(4) a description of the training that the counselors 
        providing such services received so that such counselors could 
        effectively provide veterans with current labor market 
        information and regional workforce trends; and
            ``(5) such other matters as the Secretary determines 
        appropriate.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
3697A the following new item:

``3697B. On-campus educational and vocational counseling.''.

SEC. 6. PROVISION OF INFORMATION REGARDING ENTITLEMENT OF VETERANS TO 
              EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 36 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 3699. Provision of certain information to educational 
              institutions
    ``(a) In General.--For each veteran or other individual pursuing a 
course of education that has been approved under this chapter using 
educational assistance to which the veteran or other individual is 
entitled under chapter 30, 32, 33, or 35 of this title, the Secretary 
shall make available to the educational institution offering the course 
information regarding the amount of such educational assistance to 
which the veteran or other individual is entitled.
    ``(b) Manner Information Is Provided.--The Secretary shall provide 
information made available under subsection (a) to an educational 
institution through a secure information technology system accessible 
by the educational institution.
    ``(c) Regular Updates.--With respect to information made available 
under subsection (a) relating to a veteran or other individual, the 
Secretary shall regularly update such information to reflect any 
amounts used by the veteran or other individual.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
3698 the following new item:

``3699. Provision of certain information to educational 
                            institutions.''.

SEC. 7. MODIFICATIONS RELATING TO REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES OF STATE 
              APPROVING AGENCIES FOR MATTERS RELATING TO ADMINISTRATION 
              OF VETERANS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Increase.--Section 3674(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``out of amounts 
        available for the payment of readjustment benefits'' and 
        inserting ``out of amounts in the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs readjustment benefits account and amounts appropriated 
        to the Secretary''; and
            (2) in paragraph (4)--
                    (A) by striking ``The total'' and inserting:
                    ``(A) The total'';
                    (B) by striking ``$19,000,000'' and inserting 
                ``$23,000,000''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(B) Whenever there is an increase in benefit 
                amounts payable under title II of the Social Security 
                Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) as a result of a 
                determination made under section 215(i) of such Act (42 
                U.S.C. 415(i)), the Secretary shall, effective on the 
                date of such increase in benefit amounts, increase the 
                amount in effect under subparagraph (A), as in effect 
                immediately prior to the date of such increase in 
                benefit amounts payable under title II of the Social 
                Security Act, by the same percentage as the percentage 
                by which such benefit amounts are increased.''.

SEC. 8. TREATMENT, FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE ADMINISTERED 
              BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, OF EDUCATIONAL 
              COURSES THAT BEGIN SEVEN OR FEWER DAYS AFTER THE FIRST 
              DAY OF AN ACADEMIC TERM.

    Section 3684(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following new 
        paragraph (4):
            ``(4) A course offered by an educational institution that 
        does not begin on the first day of an academic term, but does 
        begin seven or fewer days after such day, shall be treated as 
        beginning on such day for purposes of this section.''.

SEC. 9. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION.

    Section 3692(c) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``December 31, 2017'' and inserting ``December 31, 2022''.
                                 <all>
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